Dell XPS

Dell XPS Logo

Dell "XPS" ( Xtreme Performance System) is a line of gaming and performance computers manufactured by Dell Computers.

History

The "XPS" ( Xtreme Performance System) name dates back to 1993 when Dell at that time was more focused on corporate business than consumers. Gateway was number 1 in the high-end consumer market. In early 1993 there was a staff meeting to address how to pursue this emerging market. At this time Dell turned over less than 500 million dollars a year and Michael Dell was involved in most decisions. At this meeting it was decided to launch a new high-end product line to beat Gateway. Vernon Weiss was assigned as Product Manager to spearhead and manage the new product. In September 1993 the first two versions of the new XPS line were announced. The first generation of the XPS system was available as either a desktop or a tower. This new product line was so far ahead of the competition that it was featured on the cover of the October 1993 issue of PC Computing. For the next 3 years with Vernon Weiss managing the product line, the XPS systems won over 100 magazine reviews and covers, being the first to adopt the latest PC technology available and bring it to the consumers at an attractive price.

From 1997 to 2001, as Dell became a large corporation, the XPS line lost its position as the leading-edge performance machines and was essentially just a line for fast computers. In 2005 Dell revamped their XPS line as a direct assault on the market share of companies such as Alienware (also owned by Dell) and Falcon Northwest.

In 2005 Dell separated their home desktop systems into two lines, Dimension and XPS. Their home notebooks were also separated into two lines, Inspiron and XPS. While the XPS designation used to mean the hardware was high-end and well suited for gaming, that is no longer the case. For example, the XPS 200 is limited to extremely low-end video cards, while the XPS M140 is only configurable with Intel video, thus making both systems unsuited for gaming or high-end usage.

Starting 2002, Dell considered buying Alienware, but did not take any action until March 22, 2006, when it agreed to purchase the company.^[1] The new subsidiary maintained its autonomy in terms of design and marketing. However, Alienware's access to Dell's supply chain, purchasing power, and economies of scale would lower its operating costs.^[2] Initially, Dell maintained the XPS line, often selling computers with the same specifications as those offered by the Alienware division. Due to corporate restructuring in the spring of 2008, the XPS brand was scaled down and then discontinued.^[3] In 2008 the former XPS line became known as "Studio XPS" and Dell advertised it as a performance computer line while Alienware was being advertised for gaming. On June 2, 2009, The M17x was introduced as the First Alienware/Dell branded system.

XPS Desktop Computers

Current XPS desktops

Studio XPS

The Studio XPS, also referred to as Studio XPS 435MT, was released November 16, 2008. This is a PC with performance somewhat between the XPS 420 and 630. Its processor is the Intel Core i7. The current Studio XPS models, however, are not as gamer-oriented, with only one PCI-E x16 slot and a 475W power supply. It has RAID0/1 support, however, as well as the capability of up to 24GB of RAM. Later this model was renamed to the Studio XPS 9000.^[4]

XPS 630

Description

Now no longer available from Dell as a new system purchase, but is in factory outlet. This desktop at one time filled the gap between the media-oriented XPS 420/430 and the high-end XPS 730x. There is no physical difference(s) between the 630 and the 630i. The marketing concept was to use an "i" to designate systems installed with an Intel chipset, and an "a" for systems with AMD-installed chipsets, but since Intel-based chipsets were the only models ever sold, this designation holds little significance. The 630 features a Dell-modified NVIDIA nForce 650i chipset that supports both SLI and CrossFire configurations, but lacks ESA certification (the only ESA-certified component in the 630i is Dell's "Master Input/Output" (or "MIO") printed circuit board).^[5] The XPS 630 at one time came standard with an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 CPU and dual NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT graphics cards.

Problems and solutions

There were several issues with the XPS 630 including problems with the chassis fan control, chassis LED lights, and non-shipment of the LightFX 2.0 lightshow control software.^[6] limited PCIe slot configuration (8,8,1,1 unlike OEM Nvidia 650i SLI motherboards which also offer the 16,1,1,1 configuration), constant HDD LED activity, and a reliability issue due to a problem inherent in the Nvidia 650i SLI chipset that can surface when overclocking with 4 or more gigabytes of RAM. The problems resulted in PC PRO revoking their Recommended award for the system.^[7]

The July 22, 2009 release of a Softex Media Plug-in has provided some of the features originally advertised in LightFX. BIOS updates were issued to patch the constant HDD LED activity. Some 630i owners have bypassed the aforementioned problems by swapping out the Dell-modified 650i motherboard with OEM motherboards such as the EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW. The motherboard has 8 lanes wired for each PCIe slot, which can restrict performance if using a single high-performance graphics card. Performance is equivalent to other systems with 650i chipset motherboards when using two graphics cards in SLI mode.

XPS 625

A version of the XPS 630 but with AMD Phenom II chips and ATI Graphics.

XPS One 20 and XPS one 24

Released on November 19, 2007, the Dell XPS One is an all-in-one desktop designed for "minimal fuss and maximum cordless connectivity", and ships with the power cord, and a wireless keyboard with a touchpad and wireless mouse prepared to the system. The XPS One comes in 20-inch (XPS One 20) and 24-inch (XPS One 24) models. The 20-inch model has an Intel Core 2 Duo E4500, while the 24-inch model has an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200. The 20-inch model has 2 GB of dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM @ 667 MHz, while the 24-inch model has 4 GB of dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM @ 800 MHz. The XPS One 20 has integrated Intel GMA 3100 graphics, while the XPS One 24 has integrated Intel GMA X4500HD graphics, and can be customized with an nVidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics card when chosen with PRODUCT (RED). The XPS One 20 has a WSXGA (1680×1050) resolution with 16.7 million colors, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, an 80° viewing angle, and a 5 ms response time. The XPS One 24 has a WUXGA (1900×1200) resolution with 16.7 million colors, a 1200:1 contrast ratio, an 89° viewing angle, and a 6 ms response time. The 20-inch model has integrated High Definition Audio and 10 watt stereo speakers, while the 24-inch model has SoundBlaster Audigy HD software with 25 watt premium JBL speakers with an integrated subwoofer. The XPS One 20 and XPS One 24 were subsequently discontinued by Dell.

Previous XPS desktops

Dell XPS T600R

Dell XPS Gen 4

XPS H Series - A system that came out circa 1996/97. It contained an Intel Pentium (P5) CPU with MMX and SDRAM.

XPS D series - A system that came out in 1997. It contained an Intel Pentium II (Klamath) CPU, SDRAM, and a i440LX chipset.

XPS R series - A system that came out in 1998. It contained an Intel Pentium II (Deschutes) CPU, SDRAM, and a 440BX chipset.

XPS T series - A system that came out in 1999. It contained an Intel Pentium III CPU, SDRAM, and a 440BX chipset. An "r" suffix was used for Socket 370 versions, while no suffix was used for Slot 1 versions.

XPS B series - A system that came out in 2000. It contained an Intel Pentium III CPU, 128MB of RDRAM, an ATi RAGE graphics card, and an i820 chipset. An "r" suffix was used for Socket 370 versions, while no suffix was used for Slot 1 versions. Later models (especially the "R" series) had a built in DVD drive.

XPS Gen 2 - Included Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading Technology (3.4 GHz, 800 MHz Bus, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, 400 MHz dual-channel DDR SDRAM (400 MHz), Supports SATA and IDE hard drives, 1 AGP Slot, 4 PCI slots, Sound Blaster Audigy², and Dell Wireless Keyboard and Mouse. Video Card included was ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (AGP x8). [4]

XPS Gen 3 - Circa August 2004 - Included Pentium 4 Processor 550 with HT Technology (3.40 GHz, 800 FSB), Microsoft Windows XP Professional, dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM, 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, Sound Blaster Audigy², and Logitech MX500 Optical Mouse. The video card was the then-brand new ATI Radeon X800XT (PCIe x16).

XPS Gen 4 - The XPS Gen 4 featured either a Intel 925XE Express or Intel 925X Express chipset with a Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading technology and a 512 KB, 1 MB, or 2 MB cache. They supported up to 4GB of 400-MHz and 533-MHz DDR2 unbuffered SDRAM in four memory slots. The Gen four also featured an on board 10/100/1000 network interface controller, an 800-MHz or 1066-MHz system clock, one PCI-Express x16 video card slot, 4 PCI slots, and four Serial ATA 2.0 connectors.^[8] It was powered by a 460 watt proprietary power supply and featured decorative LEDs on the front of the case that the user could change the colors of in the Bios.

XPS Gen 5 - Used a Pentium 4 HT processor with 512 KB, 1 MB, or 2 MB of L2 Cache. It can support up to 8 GB of DDR2 memory @ 533 MHz or 667 MHz.

XPS 210 - A small-form-factor case that is 67% smaller than the XPS 410. It does not use full-size PCI slots. The XPS 200 is aimed at being a low-impact machine, meaning it blends in better with the room's features. It is more of a multimedia computer than an actual gaming machine, despite the XPS name. The main difference between the XPS 210 and its predecessor, the XPS 200, is the upgrade to the Intel Core 2 Duo processor line. This makes the XPS 210 faster than the XPS 200.

XPS 200 - This model was available from late 2005 to the end of the 3rd quarter of 2006. It was replaced by the XPS 210, which is nearly identical to its predecessor. The main exception in this case is the upgrade to an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and other minor adjustments.

XPS 400 - This model was available during late 2005 and the first half of 2006. It was replaced by the XPS 410, which is nearly identical with the exception of an optional Intel Core 2 Duo processor and slightly different audio and video card options.

XPS 410 - The former intermediate model of the XPS series and bigger brother to the Dimension E510. It features a base configuration of an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Quad is also available as an option. Other base options include the NVIDIA GeForce 7300LE, 7200RPM SATA-300 hard drive, and dual-channel DDR2 RAM. The case is nearly identical to that of the Dimension E510, with an additional 3.5-inch drive bay being added. The case is physically taller because of this. The power supply is also slightly more powerful than the Dimension E510 (375 W vs 305 W, respectively). The XPS 410 replaced the XPS 400. It was replaced by the XPS 420. XPS 410 units were also sold as the Dimension 9200, allowing Dell to continue selling remaining units after the XPS 410 was discontinued.

In an odd twist, the Dimension 9200 was the final desktop in the Dimension line, effectively making an XPS unit the last in the Dimension family.

XPS 430 - similar to 420, with DDR3 RAM and without the LCD on the computer chassis.

XPS 420 - Now discontinued, it features similar components to the XPS 410, but it used different case design and new features. This was Dell's media based computer featuring the Dell Xcelerator (a simple and effective Video Recorder), and an LCD screen in the case, running Windows Vista SideShow. As usual with the 4XX Line of XPS's it did not allow for SLI Graphics.

XPS 600 - The former flagship model of the XPS series that features an Intel dual-core Pentium D 950 processor, dual nVidia GeForce 7900GTX in SLI mode, 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, and dual-channel DDR2 RAM. This case has not changed significantly over the past several generations, with the large aluminum plate on the front. Discontinued a few days after XPS 700 launch and succeeded by the XPS 700.

XPS 700 - Targeted at the gaming community, this model featured the Intel Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors with dual nVidia GeForce 7900 GTX in SLI mode, a 7200RPM SATA hard drive and dual-channel DDR2 RAM. For the first time in an XPS desktop, the BIOS allowed overclocking, while the aluminum case featured a distinctive "leaning" design. The XPS 700 used significantly larger power supplies than the other XPS models to accommodate higher-end video cards and overclocked CPUs. Like its forerunners, it used a non-standard non-ATX motherboard, thereby limiting upgradability. It was replaced by the XPS 710 and many customers were offered a free motherboard upgrade to XPS 720 specification following complaints about the system.^[9]

XPS 710 - The formal flagship model of the XPS series that features the new Intel Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors, as well as Core 2 Quad processors. Other features include dual nVidia GeForce 7950 GX2 in Quad SLI mode, 7200RPM SATA hard drive, dual-channel DDR2 RAM. The XPS 710 uses significantly larger power supplies than the other XPS models to accommodate higher-end video cards and overclocked CPUs. It was replaced by the XPS 720.

XPS 720 H2C - The H2C edition computer has included a dual-stage radiator cooling technology, and a motherboard capable of overclocking its quad core Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800. The H2C comes standard with dual nVidia GeForce 8800GTX cards running in SLI at a price of $6,780. The XPS 720 H2C uses slightly higher quality parts than the other XPS classes and is currently one of the most powerful and one of the fastest pre-built systems that an individual can purchase by a significant margin. Hampering its overall performance however, are the locations of the PCIe 16x slots. In an ideal SLI configuration, the 16x slots must be close enou the second 16x is at the far edge of the board. This is now not available in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the XPS 720 H2C is only available through Dell Outlet now, meaning no new computers of this model are being manufactured.

XPS 720 - Announced on November 24, 2007, the XPS 720 is the same as the XPS 720 H2C, except it does not have the "dual-stage radiator cooling technology." It comes in two versions, the Red Special Edition, which is the same as the Black normal one, they both come with a 1 kW power supply. This is now not available in the UK. Like the XPS 720 H2C this is only available in the U.S. through Dell Outlet.

XPS 730 H2C - This was Dell's latest high- performance gaming computer. It had H2C (a high-performance cooling system) as standard, which was ideal for gaming. Its motherboard, the nVidia nForce 790i Ultra, was capable of overclocking its quad core Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 up to 3.64 GHz. Dual channel DDR3 SDRAM system memory was available in United States and UK.^[10] There was a choice of colors also at some outlets. The basic model specs of the PC were: Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor QX9650 (3.46 GHz Overclocked), DUAL 1GB ATI Radeon 3870 X2 Crossfire X Graphics Card, 2GB Memory, 1TB 7200rpm Dual HDD. The base price in the UK was £2,499.^[11] The system also came with an improved H2C cooling device, seen on ultra high gaming computers. This has since been replaced by the XPS 730x (see above).

XPS 730x

Released on November 16, 2008, it is basically an XPS 730 with the new Intel Core i7 which also used the new Intel X58 Motherboards. The 730x has where, when configured with the Core i7 975 Extreme Edition, can be factory-overclocked to 3.73 GHz. The 730x also integrates Alienware's AlienFX and a new theatre lighting system. The internals of the 730x have also been redone for ease of upgrades, although most of the inside remains the same. The 730x now supports a Tri-Channel of 6 GB of DDR3. The graphics card support is either a dual or single Geforce GTX 285, or a single ATI Radeon 4870 X2. The 730x operating system also supports 64-bit Windows. Dell has discontinued the XPS 730x in its US online store and is currently in the process of selling remaining stock. It has been mentioned that this was done to focus more attention for customers seeking gaming computers to Alienware. The desktop was discontinued on September 17,

XPS Laptop Computers

Current XPS laptops

Dell returned to develop their XPS performance line. The three new laptops, released in October 2010, have many new features and specifications from the old models. They feature JBL speakers with Waves MaxxAudio 3 technology, and have integrated 3D graphics. The line is the first to be Skype-certified for video chat. They have Intel i5 and i7 processors. The X-Fi upgrade offered by Dell is not actually a hardware upgrade but a software-based processing package which "provides premium audio quality, effects and features".^[12]

XPS 17 (L701X)

The Dell XPS i5, released in October 2010, is a new desktop replacement laptop in the XPS Laptop line. It is priced at $949 for the base configuration, but can be customized heavily. Options include a processor upgrade up to the new Intel Core i7 840-QM, an NVIDIA 445M GT 3GB graphics card, up to 16 GB of DDR3 RAM memory, 1.28 TB Hard Drive space (2x640GB @ 7200 RPM), a 17.3-inch 1600 X 900 resolution screen, and a Blu-Ray disk drive.

XPS 17 (L702X)

Same as L701X, except this model contains the latest Intel Core “Sandy Bridge” processors and capability for Full HD Display and 3D Full HD Display. Also, the discrete graphics have been

XPS 15 (L501X)

The XPS 15 was released in October 2010 and is a 15.6-inch laptop. Its base-price at release is $849 and it can be customized up to the Intel Core i7. It is equipped with a 2010 NVIDIA GT 435M or 420M video card, and can be customized with up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory. The computer can either have a 640 GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, or a 256 GB solid state drive. It also contains a 16x DVD/Blu-Ray reader/burner, and a 9-in-1 media card reader. The screen resolution is either 1366 X 768 or 1920 X 1080.

XPS 15 (L502X)

It incorporates the latest Intel Core “Sandy Bridge” i5 and i7 quad core processors. The basic features of this laptop are same as the L501X model but these offer the latest Intel 2nd Generation Core i7 Processors. It is also equipped with NVIDIA GT 1 GB 525M (base) or 2 GB 540M (upgrade) video card, and can be customized with up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory. The computer can either have a 500 GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, 750 GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, or a 256 GB solid state drive.

XPS 15z

The XPS 15z was released in May 2011 and is a 15.6-inch laptop. It is branded as the thinnest 15 inch PC on the market. Its base-price at release is US$999 (AU$1399) and it can be customized up to the Intel Core i7.^[13] it is equipped with a NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB video card (Australian version is equipped with 2GB video ram), and can be customized up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory. The computer can either have a 750 GB 7200 RPM hard drive or a 256 GB solid state drive. It also contains a 8x slot-loading CD/DVD reader/burner. The American version has a base screen resolution of 1366 X 768, while the Australian release is 1920x1080.^[14] On 6 September 2011, Dell upgraded the options for the i5 and i7 processors, for new purchases and kept the base price the same.

XPS 14 (L401X)

The XPS 14 was released in October 2010 and is a 14-inch laptop. Its base-price at release is $899 and it can be customized up to the Intel Core i7. It is equipped with a 2010 NVIDIA GT 425M or 420M video card, and can be customized with up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory. The computer can either have a 500 GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, or a 256 GB solid state drive. It also contains a 16x DVD/Blu-Ray reader/burner, and a 9-in-1 media card reader.

Previous XPS laptops

The Dell XPS M1730 is known for its various LED lighting effects.

Studio XPS 16 (M1640)

Released early January 2009, it features a 15.6-inch 720p or a 16.0-inch 1080p 16:10 aspect ratio screen. It is equipped with either a 512MB ATI Radeon HD 3670 or 1024MB ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics card, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a DVD+/- RW or a Blu-ray ROM combo drive, and Windows Vista or Windows 7. It has an illuminated QWERTY keyboard and leather accents on the lid are optional. Its full body is onyx black and silver.

Studio XPS 16 (M1645)

Same as above, featuring a quad core Intel Core i7 Clarksfield processor on an intel PM55 chipset mainboard and a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 or 5730. Some of these XPS systems were found to have throttling issues when demanding applications like games were run on them. Dell was able to provide a fix for the issue with the help of community input. The fix involved bios updates and a more powerful AC adapter.^[15][16][17] Other laptops were also found to suffer from the same throttling issue.

Studio XPS 16 (M1647)

Same as above, featuring a dual core Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7 Clarksfield processor. The M1647 motherboard still uses the Intel PM55 chipset (as the M1645) but overall the motherboard uses less power than its predecessor.

XPS M1730

The XPS M1730 was announced on October 5, 2007 as the newest 17-inch XPS laptop computer. Compared to its predecessor, the XPS M1710, the model M1730 was physically redesigned with a completely new chassis available in a grey, white, blue, or red. Like the M1710, the M1730 offered unique user- and software-changeable LED lighting in the touchpad, fan outlets/inlets, as well as the lid and speaker grills. Also like its predecessor, it featured a 17-inch widescreen. From the components angle, it supported overclockable Intel Core 2 Extreme processors (2.8 GHz to 3.4 GHz overclocked via the X7900 or X9000 Processor), dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTX video cards in SLI, up to two 7200 RPM SATA hard drives available in RAID, and up to 8GB DDR2 SDRAM . A Blu-ray Disc Drive was an option in some models. New with this latest version was a built in optional AGEIA physics card to enable PhysX enhanced titles take advantage of hardware accelerated physics, the option for 64 GB solid state drives, a back lit keyboard including a number pad, and a Logitech gaming LCD display above the keyboard. The model has been discontinued, likely because of Alienware's new M17x laptop, which is now sold at the same price as the XPS M1730.

Criticism

The M1730 has been criticized for its looks, increase in weight and size compared to previous models, and for having only marginal performance gains in select games. The last complaint is likely due to Nvidia only having recently^[when?] released a mobile version of the 8800M video card which Dell added to the list of options following the release of the M1730.

Upgrades

Top view of the M1730 9800M GTX SLI 1GB VRAM graphics card.

Following the initial release of the M1730, the option to have dual 8800M GTX graphics cards in SLI was made available. This is said to have a 174% power increase (as quoted by Dell) over the dual 8700M GTs in SLI which were previously the highest available option.^[18] More recently^[when?] an option to have dual 9800M GT and 9800M GTX (Though this graphics card differs from the 8800M GTX that the 9800M GT/9800M GTX has a PhysX chip in it) graphics cards in SLI has been added to the line.

The 9800M GTX SLI is currently the highest supported graphics card with 1GB GDDR3 VRAM for the M1730, as opposed to the 9800M GT SLI and 8800M GTX SLI only with 512MB of available Video Memory and slightly higher amount of stream processors. Thus, performs slightly better than the 9800M GT and 8800M GTX cards. The availability of the 9800M GTX SLI is rare, and may only be purchased in limited Dell direct outlets and on eBay. And in most cases, they are either out of stock, not on sale any longer or selling the previous 9800M GT and 8800M GTX graphics cards.

XPS M1530

This 15.4-inch laptop, released on November 28, 2007, features the Santa Rosa platform. The XPS M1530 is almost identical in design to the XPS M1330 except that it has 3 different colors (blue, white and red) and it is a bit thicker and heavier with a 15.4-inch CCFL or LED screen. It can be configured with Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors up to T7800 (2.6 GHz)/T9500 (2.6 GHz, 6 MB L2 cache)), up to 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667 MHz (Crucial.com indicates max. of 8GB at 800 MHz), up to 320 GB 5400 rpm hard drive/500 GB 5400 rpm or with faster 160 GB or 240 GB 7200 rpm and up to 320 GB 7200 rpm hard drive or an optional 128 GB solid-state drive, and can be configured with a 128MB DDR2 Geforce 8400GS or 256 MB DDR3 8600M GT GPU. Wireless draft-n is also available (802.11n). The XPS M1530 includes a biometric fingerprint reader and a 2 MP webcam. Another option for this laptop is a glossy 1920x1200 display, even though it is 9 inches smaller than Dell's 24 inch monitor. The system weight starts at 2.62 kg (5.78 lbs)^[19] and is dependent upon configuration. The laptop contains an internal slot for a Dell mobile broadband card.^{[citation needed]}

XPS M1530 is no longer available for purchase on Dell's website as of early August 2009. Dell became aware that the problem was limited to Nvidia chip production, the BIOS was updated to A12 which improves thermal control but does not prevent it from reoccurring.[13] The problem associated with Nvidia GPU's was the chip material used could not stand high temperatures.

XPS M1330

This 13.3-inch high-end laptop, released on June 26, 2007, features the Santa Rosa platform. It features a 13.3-inch screen either with CCFL or WLED. The WLED-backlit version has a 0.3 MP camera, as opposed to the 2 MP camera with the CCFL screen. The XPS 1330 with the WLED screen is thinner and brighter than the previous XPS 1210 version, the thinner WLED screen forcing the optics in the camera to be limited to 0.3 MP. Moreover, XPS 1330 can also feature a biometric fingerprint reader, usually found in business class laptops like the Latitude series. The XPS M1330 also offers the NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS graphics card as an option. Originally, it could only be configured with Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors up to T7700 (2.4 GHz), but could later be configured with processors up to the Intel Core 2 Duo T9500. The XPS M1330 is also available in the (PRODUCT) RED line along with other Dell computers. There have been several cases involving M1330 laptops to be cosmetically defective in manufacture, such as loose hinge covers and unusually and uneven gaps between plastic parts, as well as customer complaints concerning "CPU whine". The Dell XPS M1330 is noted for its light weight of only 1.8 kg.

XPS M1330 is no longer available for purchase on Dell's USA website as of early August 2009. It has been replaced by the M1340 (Studio XPS 13).

Problems

Dell became aware that the problem was limited to Nvidia chip production G84- and G86-GPU's, the BIOS was updated to A12 which improves thermal control but does not prevent it from reoccurring.^[20] The problem associated with Nvidia GPU's was the chip material used could not stand high temperatures.

Studio XPS 13 (M1340)

Similar to the Studio XPS 16 but trimmed down into a 13.3-inch 720p 16:10 aspect ratio screen, it has an illuminated QWERTY keyboard and includes leather accents on the lid. Its full body is piano black and silver.

The Studio XPS graphics offerings are currently the integrated Nvidia 9400M G (same as used in MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBooks) and the more powerful Nvidia GeForce 9500M GE (which is composed of an integrated GeForce 9400M G and discrete GeForce 9200M GS with 256MB of GDDR3 memory). When configured with the 9500M GE you are able to switch between the 9400M G running standalone and the 9400M G with the 9200M GS in Windows Vista, without logging out and back in like you must with Apple products due to the availability of Hybrid SLI. Although this model is still available in Europe with the 512MB nVidia GeForce 210M graphics card and the NVIDIA GeForce MCP79MX Chipset.

• Processors: Intel Core 2 Duo P7350, P8600, P8700, P8800, P9500, P9600 or P9700.
• Memory:3 GB, 4 GB, 6 GB, or 8 GB of shared dual channel DDR3 SDRAM @ 1066 MHz.
• Chipset: nVidia 730i
• Graphics Processor: integrated nVidia GeForce 9400M G graphics or nVidia GeForce 9500M with 256 MB of graphics memory.
• LCD Display: 13.3-inch Edge-to-Edge CCFL-backlit display with 1280 × 800 resolution or 13.3-inch Edge-to-Edge LED-backlit display with 1280 × 800 resolution and TrueLife.
• Hard Drive: 250 GB, 320 GB or 500 GB SATA at 7200 RPM or 256 GB Solid State Drive.
• Optical Drive: 8X slot-load dual-layer DVD+/-RW drive or 2X tray-load Blu-ray Disc Combo drive.
• Battery: 6-cell (56 Whr) or 6-cell (56 Whr) w/additional 9-cell (85 Whr) Lithium Ion battery.
• Camera: 1.3 MP or 2 MP webcam.
• Wi-Fi Card: Dell Wireless 1510 802.11a/b/g/draft/n half-mini card.
• Bluetooth: Dell Wireless Bluetooth Internal 370 (2.1 EDR).
• I/O ports: 1 USB 2.0 port, 1 USB/eSATA Combo port, 1 Gigabit Ethernet port, 1 VGA output, 1 HDMI output, 1 DisplayPort output, 2 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack, 1 54 mm Express Card slot, 1 8-in-1 memory card reader, 1 IR receiver and 1 power adapter connecter.

XPS M1340 is no longer available for purchase on Dell's USA website as of March 2010. No replacement 13-inch Studio XPS has been announced.

Gen 3

Dell XPS M2010 Laptop, mouse, power brick and lock

LED lights on the XPS M1710, set to the color "coral".

XPS M2010 - The XPS M2010 was announced on May 31, 2006 as a top of the line briefcase-styled mobile desktop with a 20.1-inch widescreen with a WSXGA+ resolution and TrueLife. The outside of the case had a leather-like appearance.^[21] The XPS M2010 used an ATI Mobility Radeon X1800 graphics with 256 MB of graphics memory and had support for dual hard drives. The laptop could be customized with an Intel Core 2 Duo T2500, T5600, T7400 or T7600 and 1 GB, 2 GB or 4 GB of DDR2 SDRAM @ 667 MHz. The laptop expanded to a full desktop set, including a detachable bluetooth keyboard, bluetooth mouse, and radio-frequency Media Center remote. It was praised for the high quality sound system which included 8 separate ¾" speakers below the screen and a 1¾" subwoofer on the bottom of the machine, ported to the right hand side. While the computer could be folded and carried as a briefcase with its built-in carrying handle, at 18.3 lbs^[22] it was generally considered too heavy to be a true desktop replacement. In 2008 It appeared in both Iron Man, where it was shown on character Tony Stark's desk, and in Get Smart on the chief's desk in a few background shots. It was also shown prominently throughout the short-lived FX series Dirt. It was also shown in Two and a Half Men as Charlie Harper's computer.

XPS M1710 - The XPS M1710 was announced on April 18, 2006 as a higher-end 17-inch WUXGA TrueLife widescreen XPS desktop replacement available in black or red. The system was marketed to gamers, sharing a chassis design and many components with the lower end Inspiron E1705/9400 and the higher end Precision M90. The base design featured an Intel Core Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900GS or 7900 GTX, 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, DDR2 SDRAM, a magnesium alloy case with user configurable multicolor LED lighting in the touchpad, fans, speakers and lid, access to an "exclusive" XPS-branded segment of DELL's business support division, and was built on the Precision M90's D-Dock motherboard. Later models offered the Core 2 Duo processor, the NVidia 7950GTX, and optional Blu-ray. As the mainboard used the Intel 945 chipset, the XPS M1710 could not address more than 3.25 GByte of RAM though Dell specified "up to 4GB RAM". This computer was replaced by the XPS M1730. Note that there are severe overheating problems with the graphics card in this model (see this Dell Support-Forum thread ). As of 19 November, 2011 Dell no longer provides download access to drivers for this laptop on their support website.

XPS M1210 - A high performance ultra-portable (12.1-inch screen) notebook featuring a new case design, Intel Core Duo processor technology, an optional dedicated NVIDIA GeForce 7400 Go video card and an optional integrated web camera (1.3 megapixel). The M1210 also has optional WWAN (wireless wide area networking) features supporting 3G broadband services. With the standard battery, the laptop weights 1.9 kilograms. Unlike other 12-inch notebook computers, the M1210 features a built-in optical drive rather than an external. This model was discontinued as of July 31, 2007.

Gen 2

Inspiron XPS Gen 2/XPS M170 - This successor to the Inspiron XPS, had replaced the desktop Pentium 4 with a Pentium M processor, which provided almost the same level of performance as the desktop Pentium 4 and reduced the weight from 9.06 lb to 8.6 lb. It featured a 17-inch widescreen display at the same resolution as the first generation. Due to the use of a mobile processor, this laptop was thinner and lighter than most other high performance gaming notebooks of its time. It has a design very similar to the XPS M1710. It was initially given the Nvidia GeForce 256MB 6800 Ultra Go GPU which was a Dell exclusive at the time. The laptop was rebranded as XPS M170 soon after the GeForce Go 7800 GTX was incorporated.

Dell XPS M140 Laptop.

XPS M140 - The lower end model XPS computer that has a chassis identical to an Dell Inspiron E1405 laptop. This model features a choice of several Intel mobile processors, 14.1-inch widescreen and between 512 MB to 2 GB of RAM. This model being more media-oriented than gaming currently does not feature a dedicated graphics card. This model has been replaced by the E1405, a 14.1-inch laptop physically similar the M140. It features the newer Intel Core Duo processors and Intel's 945 chipset. It is no longer classified as an XPS laptop, however.

Gen 1

Inspiron XPS - The first XPS laptop, which was a rebranded Inspiron 9100, was a very heavy desktop-replacement laptop starting at 9.06 pounds without power supply (which added an additional 2.5 pounds). This was because it was offered with either a 3.4 GHz desktop Pentium 4 HT "Prescott" processor, or the 3.4 GHz "Gallatin" Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processor at the same clock speed, which gave off tremendous amounts of heat due to their high clock speeds and inefficient microarchitecture, despite a very large copper-based heatsink that spanned the width of the unit with three fans. Other features included a 1920 × 1200 15.4-inch LCD, and subwoofer integrated into the bottom of the battery casing. Earlier models came with an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128MB of memory, and later models with the Mobility Radeon 9800 with 256MB of memory. Dell promised graphics card upgradability, but only delivered the small 9700 to 9800 step for 9700 owners (at a rather steep $399 price tag, including technician to install it), and never delivered the promised upgrade to the 9800 owners. This model also suffers from an annoying whine on the headphone and microphone jacks that are located on the left of the unit. This is because of shared space with the leftmost fan, and the spinning of said fan causes interference. There is no known fix than to otherwise use a USB or PCMCIA-based audio device or card for sound output.

Special Edition Computers

XPS 600 Renegade

Over the life of the XPS line, Dell has introduced models which include contemporary cutting-edge features. The first example was the XPS 600 Renegade released in early 2006, which included an Intel Pentium D Extreme Edition 965 processor that was overclocked at the factory from 3.73 GHz to 4.26 GHz. Despite the overclock, Dell honored Intel's warranty for the processor. The case featured an air-brush paint job completed by Mike Lavallee. Most notably, the machine was the first commercially available system to feature a Quad-SLI configuration, with four custom NVIDIA GeForce 7900GTX graphics cards with 512 MB of memory. It also included a Western Digital hard drive spinning at 10,000 RPM. The XPS 600 Renegade had an introduction price of $9,930.

XPS X-Men Give Away

In 2007 Dell announaced a special X-Men version XPS desktop system that was going to be given away. The system had a value of around $10,000 and featured a one-of-a-kind quad NVIDIA video cards and Intel Pentium 965 Extreme Edition processor. The case resembled a standard XPS 710 series with X-Men artwork on the side.^[23]

W.O.W. M1730

At CES in 2008, Dell announced a World of Warcraft edition of the M1730 laptop. This version of the M1730 cost around $4,500 and featured an overclockable Intel Extreme Edition Core 2 Duo processors, NVIDIA SLI DX10 graphics cards, PhysX card, with a Full HD 17-inch widescreen. It also came pre-loaded with World of Warcraft and Burning Crusade expansion, as well as other limited edition merchandise including a custom backpack.^[24]

Red

In March 2008, Dell introduced the XPS RED. A portion of the profits made on this special edition are being put towards research for a cure for the AIDS virus. As of July 2011 Dell is still offering Red products.^[25]

References

1. ^ Dell Press Release
2. ^ Kirkpatrick, David (March 24, 2006). "Michael Dell on Alienware, growth, and AMD". Fortune Magazine. http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/24/technology/fastforward_fortune/index.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-25. 
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?s=gen&c=us&l=en&cs=&k=xps+435&cat=all
5. ^ Q&A: Dell addresses XPS 630 issues | Crave, the gadget blog - CNET
6. ^ Dell XPS 630 and LightFX - Direct2Dell
7. ^ PC Pro: Product Reviews: Dell XPS 630
8. ^ http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dimxpsg4/sm/miller_i.htm#wp1052939
9. ^ http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/16/dells-xps-motherboard-exchange-program-goes-live/ XPS 700 Motherboard Exchange Program
10. ^ Dell XPS 730 Desktop Gaming PC - Product Details
11. ^ Dell XPS 730 Desktop Gaming PC - Product Details
12. ^ http://www.creative.com/oem/products/software/x-fimb.asp
13. ^ [2] Retrieved 28 June 2011.
14. ^ [3] Retrieved 7 September 2011.
15. ^ http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=446193
16. ^ http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19320784.aspx
17. ^ http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19306277.aspx
18. ^ Message left on Dell website Direct2dell.com
19. ^ Specifications: Dell XPS M1530 Owner's Manual
20. ^ Message on Dell website Direct2dell.com
21. ^ "It comes with a charcoal gray exterior design, which will give us a soft-leather like texture." Dell XPS M2010 Review | Blog - ScreenAid.com
22. ^ 18.3 lbs Dell XPS M2010 Luggable
23. ^ http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/15/dells-xps-goes-10k-again-and-x-men/
24. ^ http://www.legitreviews.com/article/642/1/
25. ^ http://www.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/global/products/landing/en/us/us/dhs/productred?c=us&l=en&cs=19

• Dell M1730 Drivers/Software unavailable from Dell WHQL and official get the support you need!
• Dell M1730 Service Manual
• Dell M2010 service manual
• Dell M2010 US Business configurator - may expire/change
• Dell UK store configurator; different options available. May expire/change
• Dell XPS 410 product details
• Dell XPS M1730 product details
• Dell XPS M1330 product Details
• Dell XPS 720H2C product Details
• Dell XPS 600 Renegade Product Details. May expire/change
• Dell XPS Generation 2 FAQ. Subject to change
• Dell XPS M1710 product review by PC Magazine, December 11, 2006
• Dell XPS M1710 on WikiSpecs
• Best dell xps review and news
• Dell XPS M1330 Windows 7 64bit Driver Dell XPS One by DriverHunter
• Overview of the Dell XPS One by Engadget
• Dell XPS M1530 product review by Practical PC, Apr 2008

External links

• Dell XPS Notebooks|Dell XPS Laptops
• Dell XPS Desktops
• Dell XPS 210
• Official Dell XPS Website
• Official Dell XPS 14z Website
• Dell XPS at Wikispecs
• Official Dell E3 Product Page (Requires Flash)